Japan has renewed its commitment to help Ghana complete the transformative Volivo Bridge, a flagship project under former President John Dramani Mahama’s $10 billion “Big Push” infrastructure initiative.
The bridge, designed to span the Volta River in the Eastern Corridor, aims to ease pressure on the congested Adomi Bridge and improve connectivity between southern Ghana and the northern regions. It also promises to enhance trade routes with landlocked neighbors like Burkina Faso and Niger.
Originally pledged in 2016 through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project secured a concessional loan of ¥11.2 billion (approximately $100 million) with favorable terms: a 0.1% interest rate, 40-year repayment period, and a 10-year grace period.
In recent talks between Ghana’s Roads and Highways Minister, Francis Asenso-Boakye, and Japanese Ambassador Mochizuki Hisanobu, both parties reaffirmed their dedication to completing the bridge. Rising costs due to inflation, fuel prices, and pandemic-related delays have prompted Japan to explore additional funding options.
The Volivo Bridge stands as a cornerstone of Mahama’s broader “Big Push” agenda, which includes roads, railways, hospitals, schools, and water systems. While construction began under the succeeding administration, fact-checkers confirm the project’s foundation was laid during Mahama’s tenure.
With strengthened diplomatic ties and renewed international backing, the Volivo Bridge is poised to become a symbol of Ghana’s infrastructure renaissance—bridging not just regions, but economic divides across West Africa.